Saints and feasts are essential to the practice of our Orthodox faith. Open the church calendar, and you will find that each day – today, tomorrow, and the day after – commemorates a feast or a saint. Еach celebration is our opportunity to learn something new about our faith, ask ourselves essential questions about our lives, and grow spiritually. With every question answered and every lesson learned, we advance a step closer to purity and righteousness. That is true of every major or lesser feast of the Orthodox Church and every saint.
The way we understand the meaning and purpose of our lives revolved around the idea of holiness and sainthood. Saints inherit salvation. They are eternally alive in Christ. As Christians, we share the same goals in this life and the life to come. The saints give us an example and inspiration to live holy and righteous lives of service.
There are many ways of serving God and multiple types of saints. Numerous saints were martyrs who sacrificed their lives and endured great torments confessing their faith. The Apostles were the first to dedicate themselves to preaching Christ and were among the early martyrs. Church fathers gave us guidance on matters of faith and doctrine. Numerous saints were notable ascetics and models of righteous lives.
The Bible teaches us to pray for each other to find healing for our souls. It also reminds us of the great power of a prayer of a righteous person. As our brothers and sisters in Christ, we ask the saints to intercede for us before God. And through them, God sheds His multiple blessings on us. In the lives of the saints, we find numerous examples of enlightenment, healing, delivery from temptation and other gifts of God’s mercy received by their intercessory prayers.
Find out which Russian Orthodox feast or saints celebrate each day in 2022 and beyond. Learn how we do it at Saint Elisabeth Convent and what spiritual insights we draw from it. Learn about our most beloved saints, their great feats and achievements and their progress to purity from all things unholy and not Christ-like. We hope that you will find our pieces both relevant and enlightening. We do not write them as lessons in history, but as an inspiration in our search for holiness.
Those heartfelt hymns guide generations. Discover the profound journey behind the Great Canon of Repentance and learn how St Andrew of Crete’s works can transform your spiritual life and deepen your relationship with God.
Saint John of Shanghai kindled the flame of true faith in the hearts of people from diverse nationalities. His strictness towards himself and boundless love for people around him revealed a great saint in this small, stooped figure.
Encounter the extraordinary life of St Maximus the Greek, who transformed from renowned scholar to unjust prisoner and spiritual mentor. Let his life inspire you to seek truth and serve others with courage and purpose.
Standing before this icon, the faithful reveal to the Mother of God their most heartfelt petitions, and deep confidence and faith in Her help and intercession at the most trying moments in their lives and in the history of their land.
